Once Upon A Time - ABC

Snow White, Prince Charming, Seven Dwarfs, Wicked Witch, Rumplestilskin, Jimminy Cricket, Ghepetto, they're all alive and well in ABC's new Sunday night family show.

Once Upon A Time brings the fairy tale world to life in our world in a town near Boston called "Storybrook." But what happens if you go there and get stuck in a story?

'Once' pits good vs. evil in a show that I didn't like but your kids should. Against tough competition it won't pull great ratings, in fact ABC may be disappointed that it won't do what Extreme Home Makeover did... and there will be less money in product placement sponsors.

Oh well, pop some corn, sit down with the kids and spend some family time Sundays at 8:00.

Charlie's Angels - ABC

I really wanted the new Charlie's Angels to be a great show... but ABC continues to disappoint this season.

Yes, there are beautiful new Angels and a new young Bosley that is quite a ladies man in his own right. Yes, the new Angels and Bosley can really kick some karate butt. But the acting is terrible and the story line is weak.

Bottom line, if you want to turn off your brain and watch a very updated version of Angels, you will enjoy this show. Will it pull great ratings? No. But ABC doesn't have a good enough back up to replace it before year's end so plan on a no-brainer to start off your Thursday night viewing. And oh ya, the pilot was one of the few this season clean enough to watch with the kids.

Man Up - ABC

Not so manly modern men that want to be manly like their fathers. Sounds funny, right?

It's the only comedy in the 8:00p Tuesday night slot, but against NCIS, Loser and Glee it doesn't stand a chance. And oh ya, it's more pathetic than funny.

Apartment 23 - ABC

"I slept with your fiance on your birthday cake." That is a quote from the show that sums it up as a trusting Midwestern girl gets a rude awakening in the big city with a con-girl roomie.

In a year of bad pilots, this is among the worst. Oh, it won't air until Spring... then it will be among the worst of 2012.

Revenge - ABC

Do you ever wonder what it would feel like to be a bad ass and get true, premeditated revenge against someone who has hurt you? Welcome to Revenge!

Revenge is a show about a young woman who spends the summer in the Hamptons to get revenge on the people who destroyed her father. It starts off looking like another prime time soap, but then surprisingly, it gets pretty good as you cheer on Emily in her quest for revenge.

Confucius said, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." Will her vengeance finally get the best of Emily, or will she get the best of the those who wronged her family? I will be watching episode #2 to find out.

Slated for Wednesday nights up against tough competition in CSI and L&O SVU, the only question is will anyone watch. I hope so because Revenge just might be my new guilty pleasure.

Pan Am - ABC

Where were you in 1963? If you spent any time in the air you will feel like you have gone back in time watching Pan Am.

But that's where the coolness of Pan Am ends. In Pan Am we follow beautiful Stewardesses (they weren't called flight attendants back then) as they enter the jet age... and the cold war age. Here is how ABC describes their new drama, "In their individual quests for adventure, the Pan Am crew face both opportunity and peril, as they juggle their lives, their loves, their hopes and dreams while flying around the world to glamorous international cities like Paris, Berlin, Jakarta and Monte Carlo. Welcome aboard, and fasten your seat belts... Adventure awaits!"

Sounds exciting, but it's not. If you want to relive a little of the golden age of flying when we had "Champagne Service" instead of the current cattle car mentality, go ahead and spend a few minutes watching the pilot of Pan Am. And if you're anything like me, you won't be around for the second episode.

Prediction: Pan Am lasts a month, then is replaced with Good Christian Belles.

Good Christian Belles - ABC

Why is it that prime time soaps have to be based in Dallas? Why is it that we have to have prime soaps at all?

GCB, Good Christian Belles is based on the book Good Christian Bitches... makes sense to change the B word to Belles so that we don't have another *&%&*#@$ My Dad Says.

Amanda was the mean beautiful girl from high school that the boys loved and the girls hated. Now 20 years later her life and marriage have fallen apart and she is forced to move back home with her rich Mom in Dallas.

Actually the soap part of GCB is over rated and this is actually a mild drama with some very funny moments. Amanda is now nice, but the old haters want revenge. Everything is based around church and a scriptural excuse can always be found for a well deserved act of meanness. Throw in the kids fresh from LA to Dallas and there are some likeable characters.

ABC must not have much faith in this program because it isn't even listed on their fall or mid-season schedules anywhere. If I were ABC's program director I would run it right after Desperate Housewives - it's the same audience. Only one problem with that scenario, ABC is running their new drama Pan Am Sunday nights after Housewives.

No worries, Pan Am will only last a month, then GCB can drop right in that slot. And with no other replacements in the pipeline Belles should last the rest of the year.

The X Factor - FOX

They're baaaaack...

What can I say about The X Factor? The network isn't letting anyone see the pilot, but everyone knows what it will be like and it is expected to earn huge ratings.

If you like Simon & Paula you will be watching. If you're just curious what all the hype is about, you'll at least watch the first episode.

The only question is how tired are Americans of singing competitions? Based on how well The Voice did this summer, we're ready for more. Well, my teenagers will be watching, but I'll be doing anything else I can think of.

Alcatraz - FOX

One of the ways I judge a new program is by how much I am looking forward to seeing episode two and three. Alcatraz falls into this category.

In 1963 the Alcatraz prison was closed and the prisoners and guards were moved to other facilities. Or were they? The premise of Alcatraz is that all 300 of these people disappeared into thin air and now, nearly 50 years later, they are returning one at a time.

Of course if bad guys are secretly and mysteriously returning, a special law enforcement agency is needed to capture and put them away. But it must be done quietly and even the new prison facility must be kept under wraps.

I can't wait to see the next episode of Alcatraz. This is a program with the depth to make a great long running series. Unfortunately it's not scheduled to start until mid-season.

FOX is in an enviable position in which they can shelve a program this good and bring it out whenever they need it. But if FOX were to listen to my advice it would kill Kitchen Nightmares and put Alcatraz in its Friday night slot NOW.

Mysterious, interesting, and even some nail biting. Cool show.

The Finder - FOX

The Finder is a new procedural based on a man with a remarkable gift for finding people and things.

Walter is an Iraq war veteran who was blown up by an IED. His subsequent recovery included the discovery of a new gift for finding the unfindable. Of course someone like this has to be a little weird and Walter is no exception. He lives in Key West and makes a local bar his home and office.

FOX has jumped on the current band wagon of law enforcement consultant (Mentalist, Castle, etc) shows, and in this case it's the FBI that needs help. And the Finder does his job.

The Finder will be Bones' mid-season replacement and should do just fine. Not great, but good enough. It may hold 2/3 of Idol's lead-in audience and that's enough to stick around for the season and beyond.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter - FOX

Fox's other comedy this fall is a loser.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter is difficult to watch. Imagine two divorced best friend women raising their over-the-top spoiled brat daughters together. They are lousy moms being manipulated by girls who know how to push their buttons. Sounds like a funny premise, right?

I would go into the rest of the plot, but that would be a waste of time... which is what you'll be doing if you watch I Hate. It's not funny, but it is annoying. It's FOX's worst pilot in a long time.

However, FOX must really believe in this show because they are leading it in with X-Factor. Can an expected huge audience be enough to save I Hate? No. It will lose at least half of X-Factor's audience and FOX will be scrambling for a replacement.

New Girl - FOX

Fox doesn't have many new programs this fall and New Girl is their only decent comedy.

Jess is a twenty-something who just went through an ugly break up and needs a new apartment. She finds one with three guys who need a new roomie... but they have no idea what they're in for with the new girl. Tears, hormones, tissues and Dirty Dancing are her current life. Oh ya, and she never stops singing. Do the guys have any idea what they are getting into?

Jess is a fun, quirky character. The three guys are going to learn more about women (albeit a fairly strange one) through this relationship.

New Girl has a strong lead-in on Tuesday nights running after Glee. It's fun, it's cute; the Glee crowd will love it. A keeper for Fox.

A Gifted Man - CBS

Wow, I really liked this program... and it bugged me.

Dr. Michael Holt is a world-famous neurosurgeon in New York City. He is smart, rich, and drives a cool car. He is gruff and overly busy on the outside, with a tender spot on the inside.

I'm loving this program until the doc's dead ex-wife shows up over and over again to direct his actions to complete her unfinished business. Now you know why CBS is airing Gifted on Friday night, the night of programs where people see and talk to ghosts. Will the premise of the dead ex bug me enough to quit watching the show? Unfortunately it is the plot line. But with Jennifer Ehle playing this part I will be able to put up with it.

Is this a "cosmic gift" or a pain in the butt that makes the doc look crazy? If you can get past some of the weird directing and patronizing camera angles, most people will like A Gifted Man.

With weak competition Friday nights at 8:00, Gifted should do just fine. I'll be watching episode #2.

Person of Interest - CBS

Solving crimes before they happen? Saving victims that have not yet been hurt?

Of course the Person of Interest can do all that! After all what would you expect when you take an ex-CIA agent (ala Bourne Identity), throw in Ben from Lost, add a hint of 1984, Men in Black, a Dirty Harry/Charles Bronson vigilante character, some cool hi-tech, and you get Person of Interest.

Sound confusing? It is, but it's also kind of a fun way to pull off a drama. Person is something new and CBS is going out on a limb with this one. I found it a little slow, but worth the effort. For viewers wanting instant gratification it will be a stretch.

And it's in a time slot that is as odd as the program itself. Thursdays at 9:00, Person is up against Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and The Office with new boss David Spade. It's also a transition hour for CBS to segue from a comedy block to Mentalist.

Most reviewers and buyers think this will be a hit, but I'm betting on just OK. If it weren't for the fact that it's in the middle of a strong CBS night it would die. However with CBS behind it, a mediocre program might just make it. We'll see how patient CBS will be and how good episodes #2, 3 and 4 will be compared to the pilot.

Unforgettable - CBS

If The Mentalist works with a guy, why not try it with a gal. That's what CBS has done with Unforgettable.

Carrie Wells has a perfect photographic memory, she remembers everything in her life. Every person she has ever met, when, how, and can recollect any moment with perfect visual clarity. This may sound great, but it can also be problematic.

As a former cop, Carrie has a new life but is caught back up in the old one when she hears a murder and is the first to find the victim. Her ex is on the case and enlists her help... not as a cop, but as a "consultant." Sound familiar? Mentalist, Castle, Medium, etc.

Yes, it's a formula, but the formula is not yet worn out and should work again for CBS. Unforgettable is slated for Tuesdays at 10:00 up against Parenthood and Body of Proof. It will do just fine and be another keeper for CBS.

2 Broke Girls - CBS

In a sea of reality TV it's good to see a few small islands of scripted comedies from time to time.

2 Broke Girls pairs a struggling Brooklyn waitress/Manhattan nanny with a newly-broke daughter of an indicted billionaire. After a rocky start, the two (predictably) become fast friends, roomies, and business partners.

Max and Caroline have opposite personalities and come from polar opposite backgrounds. While I'm not the target demo for this program, I found the writing good enough for a few laughs.

The good news for Girls is that it falls in the middle of CBS' Monday comedy line up. The bad news is that it's up against ABC's Dancing With The Stars... a similar target. If HUTs are high enough for points to go around Girls has a chance to make it.

Love Bites - NBC

NBC has done it again... need I say more?

NBC kicks off the summer with a stinker called Love Bites. Love is a disjointed, poorly acted show about sex and relationships. Is it a comedy? A drama? I don't know what it is and I don't really care.

If you choose to indulge in Love, make sure the kids are in bed because all of the story lines are related to sex. Story 'lines' plural you ask? Yes, this one hour show had a few too many: Can a single 30-something woman upstage her pregnant girlfriend by claiming to be a virgin? Can a man outdo his fiance's new vibrator? Can an average Joe seduce Jennifer Love Hewitt on a plane?

Hey NBC, grow up, get your mind out of the gutter and produce something that people want to watch.

Love Bites premiered to a 1.0 rating in 18-49s which is even worse than I expected and was fourth place in the time slot behind Univision. Ouch.

NBC 2011-2012 Prime Schedule

NBC FALL 2011-12 SCHEDULE (New programs in UPPER CASE)

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – The Sing-Off
10-11 p.m. – THE PLAYBOY CLUB

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. – The Biggest Loser
10-11 p.m. – Parenthood

WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – UP ALL NIGHT
8:30-9 p.m. – FREE AGENTS
9-10 p.m. -- Harry’s Law
10-11 p.m. -- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – Community
8:30-9 p.m. -- Parks and Recreation
9-9:30 p.m. – The Office
9:30-10 p.m. – WHITNEY
10-11 p.m. – PRIME SUSPECT

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. – Chuck
9-10 p.m. – GRIMM
10-11 p.m. – Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. -- Football Night in America
8:15-11:30 p.m. -- NBC Sunday Night Football


NBC 2012 MID-SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. – Dateline NBC
8-10 p.m. – The Celebrity Apprentice
10-11 p.m. – THE FIRM

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – The Voice
10-11 p.m. – SMASH

CBS 2011 FALL SCHEDULE

CBS 2011 fall schedule New shows in bold Moved shows in italic

MONDAY

8 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

9 p.m.

9:30 p.m.

10 p.m.

How I Met Your Mother (C)

2 Broke Girls (C)

Two and a Half Men (C)

Mike & Molly (C)

Hawaii Five-0 (D)

TUESDAY

8 p.m.

9 p.m.

10 p.m.

NCIS (D)

NCIS: Los Angeles (D)

Unforgettable (D)

WEDNESDAY

8 p.m.

9 p.m.

10 p.m.

Survivor (R)

Criminal Minds (D)

CSI (D)

THURSDAY

8 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

9 p.m.

10 p.m.

The Big Bang Theory (C)

How to be a Gentleman (C)

Person of Interest (D)

The Mentalist (D)

FRIDAY

8 p.m.

9 p.m.

10 p.m.

A Gifted Man (D)

CSI: NY (D)

Blue Bloods (D)

SATURDAY

8 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

9 p.m.

10 p.m.

Rules of Engagement (C)

Comedytime Saturday (C)

Crimetime dramas (D)

48 Hours Mystery (N)

SUNDAY

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

9 p.m.

10 p.m.

60 Minutes (N)

The Amazing Race (R)

The Good Wife (D)

CSI: Miami (D)

C = comedy, D = drama, M = movie, N = Newsmagazine, R = reality; S = sports. Source: CBS

Spring Cancellations

The big 4 networks will not be bringing back the following programs:

ABC
"V"
"Brothers & Sisters"
"Off the Map"
"Detroit 1-8-7"
"Mr. Sunshine"
"No Ordinary Family"
"Better With You"

CBS
"The Defenders"
"$#*! My Dad Says"
"Mad Love"

NBC
"Outsourced"
"Law & Order: Los Angeles"
"The Event"

FOX
"Traffic Light"
"Breaking In"
"Human Target"
"Lie to Me"
"The Chicago Code"